Our Movie Scoring Policy

As with our video game reviews, we score all movies on an “out of 10″ scale, with 1 being the lowest score, and 10 being the highest.

All reviews are based on either pre-release press screenings, check discs sent out for review purposes (which will usually be straight movie-only reviews, not inclusive of any bonus features), or retail DVD and Blu-Ray “home video releases” provided by PR.

Our movie scoring policy is as follows:

1 – AWFUL: Lousy production values, an awful script, terrible acting, bad directing, and just plain rubbish from start to finish. If we’ve scored a movie 1/10, do yourself a favour and avoid it.

2 – TERRIBLE: A release like this is a blight on the film industry, boring, convoluted and nigh unwatchable. The only reason it isn’t scoring a 1 is that we managed to sit through the whole thing.

3 – BAD: If we score a release 3/10, there may be a redeeming feature floating around with all the dross. Maybe a decent performance by one of the cast, maybe some half-decent effects or maybe it’s just so bad we found it funny. Either way, this is not a badge of recommendation.

4 – POOR: Releases tarred with the 4/10 brush are likely to be inspired messes; the type of experience that sets out with an interesting premise, a powerful cast or an original concept, yet somehow manages to be no good anyway.

5 – AVERAGE: The epitome of a 50/50 experience. Halfway between astounding and awful, an experience scoring 5 is almost totally vanilla. It may do nothing in particular wrong, but it certainly isn’t getting everything right, either.

6 – DECENT: A 6/10 is an above-average experience that does nothing spectacular, yet entertains on at least some level throughout. Not one to shout from the rooftops, but not one to avoid outright.

7 – GOOD: The try-hard releases score 7/10; the releases that aim high but fall short despite their best efforts. A score of 7 indicates a good experience, in that it does what it set out to do but without much fanfare. Worth watching, worth owning, but maybe not worth queuing up for hours to see.

8 – VERY GOOD: This release has what it takes. Well-written, well-made and well worth your time and money. If we slap an 8 on it, then it comes highly recommended.

9 – EXCELLENT: A real contender, a release that scores 9/10 is a fantastic example of film-making that soars high yet comes up just short of perfection. It may have a smattering of tiny flaws or the occasional questionable moment, but it’s utterly brilliant nonetheless.

10 – ASTOUNDING: This is the highest honour we can bestow upon a movie. If you’re looking at a 10/10, you’re looking at something almost perfect. Astonishing and beautiful, with flawless acting and peerless direction, this release isn’t just worth watching, it’s worth championing.